CMAKE file format: commands

Every statement in a CMake file is a command invocation (see language syntax). These are all the commands in the cmake-commands(7) manual, in its four groups. Each command’s keywords and options are in its own manual page; a project may also define its own commands with function() and macro(), and modules loaded with include() add more.

Sources: the command list of cmake-commands(7) (CMake 4.5); each description is the summary at the top of that command’s own manual page as shipped with CMake 4.4 (cmake --help-command), and for add_custom_rule, discover_tests and cmake_diagnostic the pages on cmake.org.

Scripting commands

Usable in every kind of CMake file, including scripts run with cmake -P.

Command	What it does
`block`, `endblock`	Evaluate a group of commands with a dedicated variable and/or policy scope (CMake 3.25).
`break`	Break from an enclosing `foreach` or `while` loop.
`cmake_diagnostic`	Set, raise, lower or query the response (ignore, warn, error or fatal error) for each diagnostic category, with a push and pop stack (CMake 4.4).
`cmake_host_system_information`	Query various host system information.
`cmake_language`	Call meta-operations on CMake commands.
`cmake_minimum_required`	Require a minimum version of CMake.
`cmake_parse_arguments`	Parse function or macro arguments.
`cmake_path`	Manipulate paths; only syntactic aspects are handled, the file system is not consulted (CMake 3.20).
`cmake_pkg_config`	Process pkg-config format package files (CMake 3.31).
`cmake_policy`	Manage CMake policy settings.
`configure_file`	Copy a file to another location and modify its contents.
`continue`	Continue to the top of the enclosing `foreach` or `while` loop.
`if`, `elseif`, `else`, `endif`	Conditionally execute a group of commands; start the `elseif` and `else` parts; end the block.
`foreach`, `endforeach`	Evaluate a group of commands for each value in a list.
`function`, `endfunction`	Start recording a function for later invocation as a command.
`macro`, `endmacro`	Start recording a macro for later invocation as a command.
`while`, `endwhile`	Evaluate a group of commands while a condition is true.
`execute_process`	Execute one or more child processes.
`file`	File manipulation command.
`find_file`, `find_library`, `find_path`, `find_program`	Find a file, a library, the folder holding a file, or a program.
`find_package`	Find a package (an external project) and load its settings.
`get_cmake_property`	Get a global property of the CMake instance.
`get_directory_property`	Get a property of `DIRECTORY` scope.
`get_filename_component`	Get a specific component of a full file name; superseded by `cmake_path()` from CMake 3.20.
`get_property`	Get a property.
`include`	Load and run CMake code from a file or module.
`include_guard`	Provide an include guard for the file being processed (CMake 3.10).
`list`	Operations on semicolon-separated lists.
`load_cache`	Load in the values from another project’s `CMakeCache.txt`.
`mark_as_advanced`	Mark cached variables as advanced.
`math`	Evaluate a mathematical expression.
`message`	Log a message.
`option`	Provide a boolean option that the user can optionally select (default `OFF`).
`return`	Return from a file, directory or function.
`separate_arguments`	Parse command-line arguments into a semicolon-separated list.
`set`	Set a normal, cache or environment variable to a given value.
`set_directory_properties`	Set properties of the current directory and subdirectories.
`set_property`	Set a named property in a given scope.
`site_name`	Set the given variable to the name of the computer.
`string`	String operations.
`unset`	Unset a variable, cache variable or environment variable.
`variable_watch`	Watch a CMake variable for change.

Project commands

Usable in CMakeLists.txt files and the modules they include; script mode does not allow commands that define build targets or actions.

Command	What it does
`add_compile_definitions`	Add preprocessor definitions to the compilation of source files.
`add_compile_options`	Add options to the compilation of source files.
`add_custom_command`	Add a custom build rule to the generated build system.
`add_custom_rule`	Define a reusable rule that generates a custom build command for each source file in a file set, or derive one rule from another (CMake 4.5).
`add_custom_target`	Add a target with no output, so it is always built.
`add_definitions`	Add `-D` define flags to the compilation of source files.
`add_dependencies`	Add a dependency between top-level targets.
`add_executable`	Add an executable to the project from the given source files.
`add_library`	Add a library to the project from the given source files (`STATIC`, `SHARED`, `MODULE` and other kinds; without a kind, `BUILD_SHARED_LIBS` decides).
`add_link_options`	Add options to the link step for executables, shared libraries and modules.
`add_subdirectory`	Add a subdirectory to the build.
`add_test`	Add a test to the project, to be run by `ctest`.
`aux_source_directory`	Find all source files in a directory.
`build_command`	Get a command line to build the current project.
`cmake_file_api`	Interact with the CMake file API (CMake 3.27).
`cmake_instrumentation`	Interact with the CMake instrumentation API, configured per project (CMake 4.3).
`create_test_sourcelist`	Create a test driver program that links together many small tests.
`define_property`	Define and document custom properties.
`discover_tests`	Have CTest run a discovery command at test time and register one test per matching line of its output (CMake 4.4).
`enable_language`	Enable languages (C, CXX, OBJC, OBJCXX, Fortran and others).
`enable_testing`	Enable testing for the current directory and below.
`export`	Export targets or packages for outside projects to use directly from the build tree.
`fltk_wrap_ui`	Create FLTK user-interface wrappers.
`get_source_file_property`	Get a property of a source file.
`get_target_property`	Get a property of a target.
`get_test_property`	Get a property of a test.
`include_directories`	Add include directories to the build.
`include_external_msproject`	Include an external Microsoft project file in the generated solution.
`include_regular_expression`	Set the regular expression used for dependency checking.
`install`	Specify rules to run at install time.
`link_directories`	Add directories in which the linker will look for libraries.
`link_libraries`	Link libraries to all targets added later.
`project`	Set the name of the project.
`remove_definitions`	Remove compile definitions added by `add_compile_definitions()` or `add_definitions()`.
`set_source_files_properties`	Set properties of source files, which affect how they are built.
`set_target_properties`	Set properties of targets, which affect how they are built.
`set_tests_properties`	Set a property of the tests.
`source_group`	Define a grouping for source files in IDE project generation.
`target_compile_definitions`	Add compile definitions to a target.
`target_compile_features`	Add expected compiler features to a target.
`target_compile_options`	Add compile options to a target.
`target_include_directories`	Add include directories to a target.
`target_link_directories`	Add link directories to a target.
`target_link_libraries`	Specify libraries or flags to use when linking a target and its dependents.
`target_link_options`	Add options to the link step for an executable, shared library or module target.
`target_precompile_headers`	Add a list of header files to precompile.
`target_sources`	Add sources to a target.
`try_compile`	Try building some code.
`try_run`	Try compiling and then running some code.

CTest commands

For CTest dashboard client scripts.

Command	What it does
`ctest_build`	Perform the CTest build step as a dashboard client.
`ctest_configure`	Perform the CTest configure step.
`ctest_coverage`	Perform the CTest coverage step.
`ctest_empty_binary_directory`	Empty the binary directory.
`ctest_memcheck`	Perform the CTest memory-check step.
`ctest_read_custom_files`	Read `CTestCustom` files.
`ctest_run_script`	Run a `ctest -S` script.
`ctest_sleep`	Sleep for some amount of time.
`ctest_start`	Perform the CTest start step.
`ctest_submit`	Perform the CTest submit step.
`ctest_test`	Perform the CTest test step.
`ctest_update`	Perform the CTest update step.
`ctest_upload`	Upload files to a dashboard server.

Deprecated commands

Command	Status, as its manual page gives it
`build_name`	Disallowed since CMake 3.0 (policy CMP0036); use `${CMAKE_SYSTEM}` and `${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER}`.
`exec_program`	Available only while policy CMP0153 is not `NEW` (CMake 3.28); port to `execute_process()`.
`export_library_dependencies`	Disallowed since CMake 3.0 (CMP0033).
`install_files`, `install_programs`, `install_targets`	Superseded by `install()`; kept for older code.
`load_command`	Disallowed since CMake 3.0 (CMP0031).
`make_directory`	Creates the named directory and any missing parents.
`output_required_files`	Disallowed since CMake 3.0 (CMP0032).
`qt_wrap_cpp`	Makes moc files for listed headers; the page suggests the `AUTOMOC` target property instead.
`qt_wrap_ui`	Makes `.h` and `.cxx` files from `.ui` files.
`remove`	Removes values from a list variable.
`subdir_depends`	Disallowed since CMake 3.0 (CMP0029).
`subdirs`	Adds subdirectories; `add_subdirectory()` should be used instead.
`use_mangled_mesa`	Disallowed since CMake 3.0 (CMP0030).
`utility_source`	Disallowed since CMake 3.0 (CMP0034).
`variable_requires`	Disallowed since CMake 3.0 (CMP0035); use `if()`.
`write_file`	Writes text to a file; `file(WRITE)` and `file(APPEND)` do the same and more.

.CMAKE File Format – Commands

Scripting commands

Project commands

CTest commands

Deprecated commands